Vowels & Consonants
by Irrevocable Truth
Summary: Words strung together to form short, unconnected stories depicting the lives and feelings of our characters.
1. Losing Hold

**01.**

Word Count: 263  
Character(s): Syaoran x Sakura x Eriol  
Genre: Romance  
Rating: K

* * *

She still can't get over him.

Sakura realizes, as she stares at Eriol Hiragizawa, all dressed up for their date and holding out a bouquet of roses for her, waiting for her to take them or maybe just step out her front door so they can leave for the restaurant they planned to go to that night: she misses Syaoran.

It was closure, all right. It was a Friday afternoon. "Goodbye, Sakura," with her name whispered as if it would be the last time she'd ever hear his voice and see his mouth forming that name again. It was painful, and it seared through everything inside her. It made her want to reach out and hold him, tight and unrelenting in an embrace that would never let go.

But she didn't, of course, because Tomoyo had told her – if you love somebody, you have to let them go.

It's been three months. Three months, and here Eriol was, ready to give her everything he had, and she really shouldn't be thinking about Syaoran right now. Because Eriol had it – the smile that 90% of the female population would fall for. The warm, prince charming smile that made you feel comfortable and beautiful. But god, how she missed Syaoran's smile. The cheeky grin. The happy smirk. The smile that made you feel like it was especially for you, like you were a part of his universe, and your absence would throw it all off balance.

She tried to let go.

But she wound up hanging onto the frayed seams of memories of him anyway.

* * *

**A/N**: So the multi-chaptered CCS story didn't really work out that well.. so I'm just going to write drabbles now. The next few chapters will probably not be connected to this one, just in case you get confused thinking these chapters are interrelated. Unless indicated, you should treat them as entirely separate chunks of stories. I hope you enjoy. _Review_?


	2. Infallibly Beautiful

**02.**

Word Count: 503  
Character(s): Tomoyo, Sakura  
Genre: Friendship  
Rating: K+

* * *

_Was she beautiful?_

She didn't know.

Sometimes people told her she had her father's eyes; they sparkled with life when she smiled. That her cascading hair flowed elegantly down to accentuate the curves of her body, that her glossed-up lips were a wonderful contrast to her pale skin, that she was graceful, petite, fragile.

And she would feel ashamed, unworthy of praise, but she would smile, because her mother would beam, proud of the daughter she somehow felt she'd crafted.

Other times they would whisper behind her back. She would be asked to attend one of her mother's parties, and the adults would talk amongst themselves in hushed voices they thought she couldn't hear. How her heavy make-up only made her look far older than her age, how her hair was too dry or her lips were too chapped, or how _their _daughters were Size Zero figures who were less than a hundred pounds, and how _dare_ she gobble down that cake like her waistline didn't dictate how many men would talk to her at the next evening party?

So when Prom came, she was nothing short of insecure.

What if she trips over her heels? What if she doesn't fit inside her prom dress? What if she forgets which fork to use to eat the spaghetti? What should she do when the sauce stains her gown? If her mascara runs? What if every guy and girl looks at her and thinks, _God she's such a pig_?

Will the girls whisper behind her back and scrutinize her make-up when she isn't looking, will they talk about how awful her dress looks? When she thinks about it, maybe her dress _does_ look a bit puffy—and she never _really_ looked good in red. Would they notice?

She stares at the mirror, at her reflection. She only realizes she has been breathing deeply for the past few minutes in a futile attempt to calm herself when Sakura lays a head on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong, Tomoyo-chan?"

Tomoyo turns her head to look at her best friend, but before she can say anything (some excuse to cover up, because how could she tell Sakura all of _this_) Sakura comments, "You look exceptionally beautiful tonight."

_Was she beautiful?_

She didn't—

She didn't—

Sakura smiles at her, holds her hand and pulls her in for a hug. "Don't worry, Tomoyo-chan! I'll be right here beside you the whole time, so you don't have to worry about if Eriol asks you for a dance or thinks you're ugly or something. You look stunning and he has no right to make you feel otherwise, alright? I swear I'm nervous as hell, I mean… I don't… you've always been so much prettier."

Tomoyo looks at her best friend, shakes her head, replies, "No, no one can ever be cuter than my Sakura-chan."

Sakura laughs, and Tomoyo lets go of her insecurities just a little.

After all, was she beautiful?

She didn't know, but Sakura sometimes made her feel that way.


End file.
